Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-11-13
THE FASTEST PRESS IN THE WORLD

larger the bearings in which its spindle
turns slide higher upon the brackets.
When the paper is entirely unwound and
rewound in damp roll 1t is taken from
the machine and is ready for the press.
This machine works at almost railroad
speed. The driving cylinder makes two
bundrid revolutions per minute, and
vets Il mile of paper in four minutes, or
at the rate OF fifteen miles per hour.
HOW THE srEREOTYFED PLATES ARE MADE.
All papers Of large circulation are
printed from the stereotype plates. and
not from the type. The impression OF
the type is received by papier-mache
matrix, from which are produced solid
, metal Plates, the exact fac siDith OF the
form to be printed, and curved to hit on
the cylinders Of the press. This matrX
is made by placing on the face OF the
type several thicknesses of damp paper
pasted together. The impression Is
made by forcing the paper on to the typo
bv rolling-machine, or'by beating with
a brush. The form, with the paper thus
pressed into the face Of the type, Is then
| transferred to a steam drylng-table.
where. under heavy pressure to prevent
its shrinking or warping under the pro
cess. it is dried and comes of brown and
hardened into complete matrix aud
ready for the casting process. INC
metal is kept in molten state IN fur.
mace. After the matrix has been secured
20 the concave side of the curved casting
box. the metal is poured in, and in a
few seconds the rough stereotype plate IS
taken ont OF it. This is then trimmed
and bevelled at the ends so as to fit on
the cylinders OF the press, and the work
men so over it rapidly and cut out the
large blanks. 1t is next placed IN a
machine where a revolving knife shayes
Its inner surface until the shell has a
uniform thickness. For each edition OF
the Djspatch two plates are taken OF
each page.
now THE PRESS WORKS.
Briefly, the press may be said to con-
sist of two pairs of cylinders. They are
two tvpe cylinders, each carrying the
stereotype plates Of four pages, and each
running against its companion impress
sion cylinder, covered with blanket
which presses the paper against the
mixed surface of the stereotyped plates
The ink is supplied by a series OF con
t;ouous rollers, which receive 1t from
reservoir and pass it on, the last rolier'
of the set revolving in contact with the
plates.
The plates having been secured on The
cylinder Of the press and the damp
ened roll, containing
FIVE MILES OF THE DISPATCH,
having been placed in position, the ma
chine is started, and the web OF pGpel
unwinds mt the rate OF ten TO twely,
miles an hour. 1t first makes a hall
turn around cylinder Of polished wood
which takes out of it all the wrinkle
and creases resulting from the dampen
ing. and then passes between the mrs
pair of type and impression cylinders
Tie press is so arranged, as has alread
, been said, that either ioul
page or an eight-page paper ca
:. be printed. Each type cylinder carrie
> the plates for four pages, and when th
. usual four-page edition OF the DiSpdtc
> is to be printed, the first type cylinde
carries two sets of pages, = aud 3, wit
the columns running around the cylil
der After receiving the impressio
: from this cylinder, the paper Is carrie
70 the second type cylinder, To tn
are attached in the same way two sets
plates of the other two pages, and IL
] processof printing is speedily complete'